5 Stories to Watch: The Week of May 15

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Happy Week of Repression!

Mid-May! School vacation begins for some, the flowers sprout and it’s still light out when you get off work. Blissful.

At OZY, we’re not having it. Reader, prepare thyself for our Week of Repression. That means an original series focused on the global cage match between citizens and their governments. Coming up: profiles of the world’s cruelest and most coercive dictators, an argument to do away with war crimes, a peek into Africa’s version of Geneva and much, much more. Please, try to repress your excitement.

Are We On to the General Election Yet?

Nope, nope, nope. Last week, Bernie beat Hillary in West Virginia, and the Donald and Paul Ryan met to find a way to make peace. In other words: The nominations aren’t sewn up yet. Voters in red-state Kentucky and blue-state Oregon will get their primaries on this week. Polls in Oregon suggest a Clinton victory and the Wellesley grad has historically found success in Kentucky where she beat Obama back in 2008, but it’s not totally in the bag with very little recent polling data. Keep an eye out.

Out of Office, In the News Cycle

Expect Brazil’s impeachment story to persist. Dilma Rousseff, who says she’s the “victim of a great injustice,” isn’t helping with the transition. It may be a rocky road ahead for her replacement, the former VP Michel Temer. Who will stay loyal to the first female president? And how many will fall in line with Temer? That’s to be worked out. Plus, there has already been talk of seedy cash exchanges between government officials over this. Perhaps the ball will drop for some as-yet-clean big-name politicians.

Give a Puck

The NHL conference finals will skate on, eh. The Penguins will face off against the Lightning; the Blues against the Sharks. The Sharks will be looking for a personal first — to appear in the Stanley Cup Final. As for the Penguins and Lightning matchup, their league-leading offenses should bring the excitement.

On the b-ball court, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against Steph Curry (his 40-point explosion last week, holy mother of God) and last year’s champs, the Golden State Warriors, starting Monday.

They Came, They Gathered, Now They’ll Leave

Simhastha Kumbh, a monthlong religious gathering in Ujjain, India, for millions of Hindus, wraps up on Saturday. It hasn’t all been bright spots and royal baths; reports in the Times of India cite deaths because of a thunderstorm and collapsed tents. The setup was elaborate, with tens of thousands of security personnel needed, but soon everyone will be going home.